The Mars Volta Make Contact with the Dead
Published 31 months ago
"We don't want to get into Salman Rushdie mode - but it's not oil that should be liberated, it's women."
- Text by Gemma Kenyon
In November 2007 The Mars Volta released a document by friend Jeremy Robert Johnson called "The Mars Volta's Descent into Bedlam". It included a history of the band and the supernatural occurrences they encountered in creation of their latest album The Bedlam in Goliath. The band are known for their epic neo-psychedelic works and explosive onstage antics. I spoke to vocalist Cedric Bixler-Zavala shortly before their recent gigs at the Roundhouse in London.
Dazed Digital: Your label Universal wanted
to release the epic "Goliath" as a single from the last album but you
opted for the more radio-friendly "Wax Simulacra".
Cedric Bixler-Zavala: The
label kept handing in these edits that didn't sound like anything we
would do at all. Especially the drum parts, it's really difficult to
edit our drummer, especially if you aren't familiar with his
vocabulary, musically speaking. To take away the drum part would ruin
the song.
DD: How have the dynamics changed in the band with new drummer Thomas Pridgen?
CBZ: "He
has gelled well with the band, we didn't know what tricks he was going
to bring out. I mean with punk rock, we took that gamble. Me and Omar
take risks all the time otherwise it's just that sort of a relationship
that has one sexual position or one kind of conversation, it just
becomes really mundane. We arm ourselves with people who have the
ability to be instantaneous and that are just a little out there I
guess.
DD: On each album contributing musicians are not credited for each song but under the moniker of The Mars Volta Group.
CBZ: Well,
what John Frusciante is doing is pretty much mimicking Omar and
learning exactly what he has taught him. I could take the time to
separate each track but the reason why we have it set up the way we do
is that, coming from a band like At the Drive-In, they kept the focus
on the singer and guitar player and ignored everyone else in the band.
We are the definition of what a motley crew is now.
DD: One influence on The Bedlam in Goliath is spirits that were trapped in a Ouija board.
CBZ: Yeah,
essentially that's just a catalyst for what it's really about. Did we
make contact with the dead? I would say yes. The spirits had a story to
tell about the way they were treated and I totally believe it. We just
came across a talking board and trapped inside this prison were people
who had met foul play by honour killings. As an artist these ideas are
always floating around but it's whether or not you have the guts to
talk about it. We realised there was a story there and that the story
was really taboo. Most people who talk about this end up getting fucked
up. It's not just in the Muslim religion, but if there's a problem in
the family if a woman's been raped, supposedly cheated on her man, they
learn from the Qur'an to kill the woman. We don't want to get into
Salman Rushdie mode, but it's not oil that should be liberated, it's
women.
DD: As a band known for your videos, the ones released to accompany this album are mocking your rock star image.
CBZ: "The video format in general is corny already. "Ilyena"
in particular is about Career Day at school - we were just making fun
of Van Valen's "'Hot for Teacher". The idea for the webcasts is that
when I sit on a plane and there's a brain surgeon and banker next to me
I'm completely embarrassed to admit I play in a rock band.
